Jaisalmer is the ‘Golden City’ of Rajasthan. This city is located in the heart of Thar Desert upon the yellowish sand stone earth. Jaisalmer, which means the ‘Hill Fort of Jaisal’, is named after its founder Rawal Jaisal. Jaisalmer has extreme weather conditions with hot summers and cold winters. The temperatures range form 7 °C during the winters to 49 °C during the summers. It is a typical Indian desert with an interminable sea of sand. This remote ‘Golden City’ has many artistic structures and monuments. It is an excellent place to be away from the madding crowds and to enjoy camel safaris. During the sunset, the city truly resembles the lost treasure town of Hamunaputra in Egypt. A short introduction of places of interest is given in the sections below.

Jaisalmer Fort

The magnificent structure of Jaisalmer fort stands amidst the golden hues of the Thar Desert. Strategically located on the Trikuta hill, this yellow sandstone fort is over 800 years old. The major attractions of this fort are a group of 12th century Jain temples, the beautiful havelis or homes of merchants, Laxminath temple, and the four massive gate ways. It can provide one with a delightful experience beyond imaginations.

Havelis

The palatial homes built by the wealthy merchants of the past are known as the ‘Havelis’. The city of Jaisalmer being one time commercial center houses these beautifully built havelis. Imagining the amount of wealth spent on these luxurious homes will thrill any onlooker. It can be rightly called the fairy land of Rajasthan. These havelis are still inhabited by the people of Jaisalmer. Some of the famous havelis are Nathmal Ji Ki Haveli, Salim Singh Ki Haveli, and Patwon-Ji-Ki-Haveli.

Desert National Park

The Desert National Park near Jaisalmer is and excellent example of the ecosystem. This is one of the largest national parks with an area of 3100 sq. km. One can find the unique vegetation of the desert and its wonderful fauna in the park. Animals like Blackbuck, Chinkara, Desert fox, Bengal fox, Desert cat, Indian hare, Indian wolf, Sand fishes, Spiny-tail lizards, Dessert monitors, Desert hares, Chameleons, Krait snakes, and Viper snakes are the inhabitants of this park. One can also find a variety of bird species like spotted sand grouses, eagles, bustards, demoiselle cranes, falcons, gray partridges, desert wheatear, quails, peafowl bee-eaters, orioles, harriers, larks, warblers, babblers, kestrel, buzzards, vultures, Indian rollers, great Indian bustards, blue-tailed bee-eaters, and many more.

Akal Wood Fossil Park

Akal wood Fossil Park is located about 17 km form Jaisalmer. One can find the fossil remains of forests estimated to be around 180 million years old. A visit to this location would enlighten one of the evolution of life and the grandeur of the past. A nominal entrance fee is collected from the visitors to enter the park.

Other places of interest include Godi Sagar Lake, Lodurva, Sam Sand Dunes, Pokran, and many more

Transport and Stay

The nearest airport of Jaisalmer is in Jodhpur which is 300 km away from the ‘Golden City’. Although there are air ticket booking centers in Jaisalmer, railways are the most preferred means of reaching the city. There are direct trains to Delhi and Jodhpur to Jaisalmer. Both government and private companies operate ordinary and deluxe buses to cities like Jodhpur, Jaipur, Bikaner, Barmer, Mount Abu, Jalore, Ahemdabad, and many other locations. One can hire auto rickshaws, bicycles, cabs, and site seeing buses to commute within the city.